Philipsburg:--- Prison Director Edward Rohan and Head of Unit Detention Wilfred Williams displayed several items they confiscated in the prison cells located at Simpson Bay, Pointe Blanche, and the Philipsburg Police Station. Among the items confiscated is one of the fishing lines that are used by prisoners at the Simpson Bay Outpost to smuggle illegal and unwanted items in the prison cells. The prison management also managed to confiscate an escape ladder that is made from sheets, a quantity of marijuana, and a scale that is used to weigh the illegal drugs. Several cell phones including Blackberries, and other high end cell phones were also confiscated. What was most shocking to persons who witnessed the display at the A.C. Wathey Legislative Hall on Wednesday morning shortly after the Council of Ministers' press briefing is a plastic makeshift vagina that is sold at sex shops on the island. Rohan told reporters that the inmates are very creative since they have lots of time to think. He said a paint roller was used to make a dangerous weapon that can be used to stab other inmates, a bucket handle was also used to make a sharp edged weapon while the prisoners destroyed chairs that are inside the prisons to use the legs of the chairs as weapons. Rohan said that the prisoners concealed the items in their mattresses and even in their cupboards that are carved out since these prisoners are very skillful. The prison management also confiscated a number of pills some of which they said are steroids while others are simply pain killers that the prisoners sell to each other.
Rohan said that the inmates even removed a window pane from the Simpson Bay holding cell to create more space for their fishing expedition.
During the display, Minister of Justice Roland Duncan told reporters that the prison is short staffed, thus allowing the prisoners to smuggle items inside the prison. The smuggling of illegal items is openly done at the Simpson Bay location. The least amount of items were confiscated at the Philipsburg Police Station. Duncan said mostly marijuana was confiscated at the Philipsburg holding cells while the dangerous items were confiscated at the Simpson Bay Outpost and Pointe Blanche House of Detention.
The Minister of Justice said he saw several articles in the media condemning the adequacy of the Simpson Bay facility but his concern is mostly is the type of persons that are being incarcerated in the prison system. The Justice Minister said he once mentioned in Parliament and was highly criticized for it when he announced his intention to allow conjugal visits in the new prison facility but he is of the opinion that prisoners have needs like everyone else, therefore allowing conjugal visits would only facilitate their human needs. When asked if that is the case then why did the prison management confiscate the makeshift plastic vagina which is not a weapon, the Justice Minister said that prisoners are supposed to ask permission to have such an item inside their cells and it appears as though the prisoner did not request permission to have the sex toy.
Click here to view the items that were confiscated inside the prison cells.
